New Delhi: Hyderabad-based New Space startup Abyom SpaceTech and Defence Private Limited celebrated its fifth foundation day on 3 October at the BITS Pilani Hyderabad Campus, by inviting defence and space experts to interact with young engineers. The former Director General of DRDO, Avinash Chander, the former Deputy Director of LPSC and Associate Director of VSSC AK Asraff and M. Rama Manohara Babu, a former DRDO scientist who is now a professor at BITS Pilani were all present for the celebrations, who addressed the team, toured the test facility, and provided valuable insights to the young team.
Five Years of @AbyomSpaceTech | Highlights from Our 5th Foundation Day
More than a celebration – our Foundation Day was a day of dialogue.
Grateful to the leaders who visited our facility, witnessed our work, and shared insights that fuel our journey ahead.
Here are some… pic.twitter.com/k5S9Z0x6zd
— Abyom SpaceTech & Defence (@AbyomSpaceTech) October 9, 2025
Chander is the architect of India’s Agni missile series, with both the Agni 1 and ISRO’s Satellite Launch Vehicle (SLV), its first rocket built for deploying satellites based on the same underlying design, with the difference being the payload. The presence and input of Chander reflected his long-standing commitment to indigenous propulsion, systems integration and encouraging space startups. Asraf has nearly four decades of experience, while Babu is a leading advocate of collaborations between academia and private industries. The founder and CEO of Abyom, Jainul Abedin traced the journey of its startup since its inception.
The journey ahead
Founder and CEO of Abyom, Jainul Abedin said, “We are dedicated to advancing sustainable space technologies with a focus on minimizing the environmental footprint of space operations. Our efforts aim to create solutions that not only advance space exploration but also deliver meaningful benefits here on Earth. The challenges ahead are significant, but so are the opportunities. We are here to push the boundaries of what’s possible, inspire bold ideas, and shape the future of space exploration.” Abyom plans work closely with government, academia and other industry partners, build indigenous cryogenic capabilities, and commercialise technology modules that it develops for wider applications. Abyom aims to demonstrate a vertical takeoff vertical landing prototype in 2026 towards the development of its reusable rocket fleet.